The Kingdom

THE

Michael Fletcher with Jeff Christensen

Copyright 2015 by Manna Imprint ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Published by Manna Imprint Copyright and use of the curriculum and template are retained by Manna Church.

Portions of this book were adapted from various curriculum templates by Brett Eastman with prior approval.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotes are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, and 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotes marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotes marked ESV are taken from the The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV® Text Edition: 2011. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Written contributions by Chris Shinnick, Elliot Diaz, and Katharine Floro.

Devotional contributions by Ben Goodman, Dave Michalski, Anna Johnson, Dan Collinsworth, and Elliot Diaz.

Editing by Katharine Floro.

Design by James Richardson, Anna Johnson, and Michael Barefoot.

ISBN: 978-1-940077-49-9 Printed in the United States of America

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 How to Use This Study Guide

6

Outline of Each Session

8

GETTING STARTED Small Group Agreement

10

Small Group Roster

12

Small Group Calendar

13

SESSION 1: The Losing of It All

14

SESSION 2: The Prophetic King

34

SESSION 3: Birth through Wilderness

54

SESSION 4: Gospels after Wilderness

74

SESSION 5: The Kingdom and the Church

100

SESSION 6: The Coming King

118

GROUP RESOURCES FAQ's

145

Hosting for the First Time

148

Hosting an Open House

152

Session Theme Verses

153

Outreach Suggestions

154

Accountability Partners’ Check-In

155

Prayer Tracker

156

3

ALL OF HISTORY IS THE STORY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

INTRODUCTION You probably know the feeling: you’re clicking through the channels when you come across a movie you’ve never seen. The characters are entrancing, the dialogue is snappy, the action is intense - you’re hooked in a minute. There’s just one little problem: it’s a two-hour movie, and you’ve already missed the first half. Why do these two guys want to kill each other? How’d she end up on that sinking ship? What is so important about those flashbacks? Without knowing how the story began, you’re guaranteed to be hopelessly lost.

Our situation in real life is very similar, isn’t it? We’re born into a world full of activity, and a lot of it looks like chaos. It’s fair to say that all of us have at least a few questions about the things we see going on around us.

Why are we here? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why does a good God allow things like illness and death?

Just like the movie, we can’t jump in halfway through the story and expect to understand what’s going on. We’re going to have holes in our understanding, and the only way to fill in the blanks is to get the backstory.

Not only will it help us understand what has already happened, but it will serve as a roadmap of the course we’re on for the future.

We should be encouraged to know that the Bible is that roadmap. It gives us the backstory to show us where humanity has been, and it reveals what God has in store for us down the road. We discover in its pages a powerful theme that weaves through the entire book, binding it together in one epic saga of loss, struggle, redemption and victory. All of history is the story of the Kingdom of God. We’re taking a journey from Genesis to Revelation to understand where we came from; what our world was meant to be like; how it all went wrong; and what God’s plan has been since the beginning to make all creation right again. We’re thrilled that you’re traveling with us!

5

How to Use This

STUDY GUIDE

Tools to Help You Have a Great Small Group Experience

● Notice in the Table of Contents there are three major sections: (1) Getting Started; (2) Sessions; and (3) Group Resources. The Getting Started section is designed to help organize your group and get everybody on the same page before you dive into the study. The Group Resources section includes answers to frequently asked questions, pointers for Hosts, and a few tools that will be used in the sessions themselves. ● If you are Hosting or Co-Hosting a Small Group, the Group Host information on pages 148 - 152 will encourage you and help you avoid many common obstacles to Hosting an effective group. Before your first meeting, be sure to view the Small Group Coaching segment on the DVD called “Host, Watch This First”. ● Use this workbook as a guide, not a straightjacket. If the group responds to the lesson in an unexpected but honest way, go with that. If you think of a better question than the next one in the lesson, ask it. ● Read the Outline of Each Session on the next pages so that you understand how the sessions will flow. ● Prior to beginning Session 1, complete the Small Group Agreement, Small Group Roster, and Small Group Calendar located in the Getting Started section. ● Pray before each session - for your group members, for your time together, or for wisdom and insights. ● Enjoy your Small Group experience and have fun together!

We recommend incorporating a meal or refreshments, a time to just hang out, a time of worship, and periodic gatherings outside of the scheduled group meetings.

7

Outline of

EACH SESSION

Here’s how a typical group session for The Kingdom will be structured:

THEME VERSE: Each session opens with a Theme Verse that emphasizes an important truth from the session. This is an optional exercise, but we believe that memorizing Scripture can be a vital part of filling our minds with God’s will for our lives. We encourage you to give this important habit a try. The verses for our six sessions are also listed in the Group Resources on page 153.

SET THE STAGE: Each session opens with some key thoughts that provide a helpful starting point and get you thinking about the particular subject you will explore with your group.

Make it a practice to read these as you begin each session.

You may want to have the group read them aloud.

GET STARTED: This section includes some simple questions to get the conversation started. This can include a group icebreaker, a recap of the previous week, or a thought related to that week’s lesson.

WATCH DVD: Each session provides teaching from Pastor Michael and stories of how people are advancing God’s Kingdom every day.

DISCUSS & APPLY: In this section, you’ll focus on key passages of Scripture and discuss both the texts and the teaching from the DVD. We want to help you apply the insights from Scripture practically and creatively: from your head, through your heart, to your hands.

GROW AS A GROUP: Each group time will end with intentional ways to build community: encouraging accountability, praying together, serving together, or just having fun!

DIG DEEPER: In these sections, you’ll find answers to important questions that might arise from the material we cover each week. Use this section as desired for individuals or the whole group to expand their study.

REFLECT DAILY: Each week, we provide daily Scripture readings, as well as a prayer activity in between sessions. Slow down, read and reflect on a small portion of Scripture each day, and pray through it. You can journal your response to what you’ve read. Use this section to seek God on your own throughout the week.

9

Getting Started This section is designed to help your group get off to a great start. Before diving into your first session, go through and complete the Small Group Agreement, Small Group Roster and Small Group Calendar. These are tools to help maximize the potential of your group.

SMALL GROUP AGREEMENT Whether your group is new or ongoing, it’s always important to reflect on and review your values together.

These are the values we’ve found most useful in sustaining healthy, balanced groups. We recommend that you choose one or two values - ones you have room to grow in or haven’t previously focused on - to emphasize during this study.

Our Purpose To provide a predictable environment where participants experience accountability, belonging and care.

Group Attendance I will make a commitment to prioritize attendance of this Small Group. I will call or email if I will be late or absent. (Completing the Small Group Calendar on page 13 will minimize this issue.)

Safe Environment I will help create a safe space where people can be heard and feel loved - no quick answers, snap judgments, or simple fixes.

Respect Differences I will be gentle and gracious to fellow group members with different spiritual maturity, personal opinions, temperaments, or “imperfections.� We are all works in progress.

Confidentiality I will keep anything that is shared strictly confidential and within the group, and I will avoid sharing improper information about those outside the group.

Encourage Each Other I will be a giver of life, not a taker. We want to help each other grow spiritually by serving one another.

Shared Ownership I will help make this group happen by sharing a small team role or responsibility over time (food, prayer, discussion, service project, etc.).

Serve Our Community I will engage with my group in a service outreach in our community (food bank, community service organization, nursing home, neighborhood, etc.).

Details When we will meet (day of week):_________________________ Where we will meet (place):_______________________________ We will begin at (time):_________and end at (time):_________ Childcare Plan:____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

11

Pass around a copy of this roster and have everyone write down their contact information. Ask someone to make copies, or type up a list with everyone’s information and email it to the group during the week.

SMALL GROUP ROSTER Name

Phone

Email

We recommend you share ownership by rotating homes, discussion leaders, meal responsibilities, etc. Studies show that a key element of a healthy group is getting everyone in the game. Even Jesus gave others the opportunity to serve alongside him (Mark 6:30-44). Don’t skip this important step!

This calendar is a tool for planning who will fill what role each meeting. Take a few minutes to plan, but be flexible; it’s ok if someone does not want to commit just yet. You can always come back to the calendar later during the study to make additions.

At the end of each meeting, review this calendar. Don’t forget birthdays, social events, church events, holidays, and outreach projects.

SMALL GROUP CALENDAR Date

Lesson

Location

Dessert/ Meal

Discussion Leader

13

Session 1: The Losing of It All

Theme Verse

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

You’ve probably heard the old saying: “If you wanna know where you’re going, you gotta know where you came from.” Beginnings are important.

They set the stage for the story that follows them.

The problem is that most people don’t understand beginnings all that well, particularly when it comes to our beginning as mankind. This fact is made evident by considering Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Verses from its first few chapters have caused some of the most heated disagreements among theologians and Bible scholars. A great deal of the confusion is due to the fact that the early chapters of Genesis are technically prehistory. They happened before written communication had been invented, so there are no writings from that era that can help us verify events or better understand the time period.

This issue creates two major problems for readers today. The first problem is that we encounter a lot of details in the first few chapters of Genesis that don’t translate well into our 21st-century Western mindset, leaving many of us scratching our heads in bewilderment. Did the Devil take the form of a serpent when he tricked Eve, or did he inhabit the body of a real snake? And either way, why does God curse the serpent itself when the Devil was at fault? And how in the world did eating a piece of fruit plunge all of mankind into eternal damnation? We could spend pages and pages listing all the questions that get asked!

The first problem dumps us right into the middle of the second problem: if we 21st-century Westerners can’t properly understand the events that took place in the beginning of Genesis, we are going to have a harder time understanding ourselves and the difficulties we face today. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Genesis tells us the story of the beginning, when God created everything, including man. It explains how our relationship with God was supposed to work. It also relates how everything in the world - especially mankind - became broken. Unless we understand how it all started, we’ll never understand what’s happening in the world now.

The good news is that Genesis doesn’t have to remain a mystery for us. We’re going to discover that this concept of the Kingdom of God, God’s rulership in the lives and hearts of people, helps make sense of our confusion and of all the mess we see in the world around us. God wants us to know that He is in the middle of the mess and that He has a plan. So let’s hit the road and dive into the first session.

15

Small Groups are built around people. Each individual has a part to play.

It is through the sharing of life experiences that we can see God’s Kingdom at work in others’ lives and in our own lives.

There are two vital relationships that are necessary for growth: our relationship with God and our relationship with others. As you begin your study with your group, we encourage you to be willing to share your life experiences; God will often use them to help other people. Listen to the experiences of others; God may use them to help you. Be intentional about building community.

• Be sure to complete the Small Group Agreement, Small Group Roster, and Small Group Calendar located in the Getting Started section on pages 10-13.

• Open your group with a brief, simple prayer, inviting God to give you insight as you study. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion. Then begin your time together by using the following questions to get the conversation started: • What brought you here? What do you hope to get out of this group?

• When you hear the phrase “Kingdom of God,” what comes to mind?

Watch the DVD for this section now.

Use the space provided to record your thoughts, questions, and things you want to remember or follow up on.

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 17

It’s all there in Genesis 1, 2, and 3…

you just have to know what to look for.

Gen 1:26-28 (NASB) Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

26

Take turns reading the following discussion questions and directing the conversation among the group.

Perhaps the three most important chapters of the entire Bible are Genesis 1, 2 and 3. These chapters boldly display for us God’s creative intent for everything, including humanity. They subtly allude to the initial rebellion in heaven and vividly portray man’s tragic fall on earth. Those three chapters lay out for us the ongoing consequences of Adam’s sin - but also the promised remedy for this universal loss.

When God created the earth, He gave the title deed to man! This is what we call the Dominion Mandate. He intended us to rule the earth in His stead. Michael explained that to “rule over” and to “subdue” were two distinct aspects of this mandate. “Rule over” gives the impression that as long as you walk out your role, everything will follow suit. “Subdue,” however, implies that your authority will be challenged at times, and you will have to enforce your position of power to accomplish your task.

19

Gen 2:15-17 (ESV) The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.�

15

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

DISCUSS & APPLY

1

Other than fellowship with God, what did we lose through Adam’s sin? How do we experience the consequences of this loss in our lives today?

2

What challenges do you face in walking out God’s purpose for you? What does it mean to function in God’s authority as you “subdue” these challenges?

3

Satan undermined Eve’s trust in God. This has been a struggle for all of us ever since. How can we live out trust in God’s goodness, even in the areas where we struggle?

4

Michael said in the video that Genesis 3:15 is the most important verse in the Bible concerning the Kingdom of God. What makes this verse so critical?

5

What does Genesis 3:15 foreshadow about God’s plan for restoring creation?

6

In the video Michael said that God’s plan is to work in you and through you. How have you experienced God working in you and through you?

7

From the teaching and the discussion, did anything jump out at you that challenged your perspective on the Kingdom of God?

COMING NEXT WEEK: The King Foreshadowed

21

GROW

as a GROUP

1

Daily time with God and His Word is one of the most important “Kingdom activities” we can do. We encourage you to spend time in daily prayer and the study of God’s Word. You can use the Reflect Daily section to guide you. At your next meeting, share your insights with one another.

2

Each one of us lives in a variety of life circles - spheres where we influence other people. Using the Spheres of Influence diagram we have provided, think about the people whom your life touches. Write the names of two or three people you know who need Christ.

Commit to praying for God’s guidance and an opportunity to share with each of them. Share your lists with the group; you can all be praying for the people you’ve identified.

3

(Optional) Conduct the empty chair described on the bottom of page 152.

4

To close your time together, spend some time worshiping God in whatever way works best for your group - praying, reading Scripture, or singing. Ask, “How can we pray for you this week?” Invite everyone to share, but don’t force the issue. Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer Tracker on page 156.

exercise

SPHERES of INFLUENCE Family

(immediate or extended)

Familiar

(neighbors, kids, sports teams, school, and so forth)

Friends

Fun

(gym, hobbies, hangouts)

Firm (work)

Always close your meeting with prayer.

23

DIG

D PR

ER

R

So where did Satan come from, anyway?

Most of us are familiar with the different stories in the Bible about the bad things Satan has done. But how did he actually become so terrible? Scripture doesn’t give us any single teaching on this subject. Instead, there are numerous passages scattered throughout the Bible that must be pieced together in order to get the whole picture.

Three important passages that the Church has traditionally understood as describing Satan’s fall are Isaiah 14:11-15, Ezekiel 28:12-17, and Revelation 12:1-12.

From these passages, we gain our understanding of Satan as a fallen angel who was cast out of Heaven for the sin of pride. He had planned a coup in hopes of ruling over God Himself. Let’s take a closer look.

Isaiah 14 reveals that Satan has fallen not just from Heaven, but from a high position in the eternal presence of God. It also tells us, in poetic terms, just how far he has fallen: maggots are now his bed and worms his cover. It doesn’t get any more disgraceful than that.

Isaiah 14:11-15 (ESV) Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, the sound of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms are your covers.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!

13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”

11

In Latin, the name “Day Star” is translated Lucifer, a name that probably sounds familiar. Lucifer literally means “bringer of light”. The name historically referred to the planet Venus in the times during its rotation when it was the first visible object in the dark, early morning sky - the first thing to “bring light” to earth. Interestingly, in Revelation 22:16, Jesus calls Himself “the bright morning star” - the exact same name that Isaiah calls Satan.

So how do we make sense of that? One possibility is that since Jesus is the true Morning Star, Isaiah might refer sarcastically to Satan by the same title to emphasize Satan’s intentions to dethrone God and take His place as the best and brightest. Verses 13 and 14 in this passage make it plain that this was exactly his ambition.

25

Ezekiel 28:12b-17 (NASB) ...You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you.

On the day that you were created They were prepared.

14 You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there.

You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.

15 You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.

16 By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O guardian cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire.

17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by Reason of your splendor.

I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you.

12

DIG DEEPER The title “anointed cherub who covers” confirms our observation from Isaiah that Satan was the highest-ranking angel, created by God for special service. Ezekiel’s description of his pre-fallen grandeur takes it up a notch: we read that he was “perfect in beauty,” covered with a multitude of rare gems, outshining the rest of Creation (another possible reason for Isaiah to call him the “Day Star”). Verse 17 tells us that it was this very beauty that caused Satan to esteem himself more than he should, to the point where his pride caused him to be filled with violence and, ultimately, with the desire to usurp God’s authority.

Revelation 12 reiterates the consequence for Satan’s rebellion described

by Isaiah and Ezekiel: being cast out of Heaven to the earth. Here, though, we’re given more detail. John speaks of signs in heaven: the first, in verses 1-2, is a symbolic depiction of Christ coming forth from the nation of Israel, and the second, in verses 4-6, is Satan’s fall. We see in verse 4 that the dragon “swept down a third of the stars of heaven”, an allegorical description of a third of the angels being cast out of Heaven with Satan. This passage also portrays Satan’s attempts to destroy the child Messiah and God’s intervention to keep Him safe (see Matt 2:13-18).

In verses 7-9, we learn that Satan didn’t leave Heaven quietly. Once the evil intentions of his heart were exposed, he decided to attempt an open, full-scale assault on God’s authority, backed by the angels who ended up being cast down with him. Michael, understood by most Bible scholars to be the highest-ranking angel in Heaven since Satan’s fall, led the unfallen angels in waging the war against the fallen angels. They put down Satan’s rebellion, and he was banished forever from dwelling in the presence of God. Verses 7-9 make it clear that Satan’s power is far inferior to God’s. This aids in our understanding of verses 10-12, in which a Heavenly voice prophetically proclaims Satan’s eternal defeat and the victory of God and His Church. Christ’s triumph over sin and death crushed Satan’s head. The Church now operates in that victory, defeating darkness by bringing God’s Kingship into the lives of others, even in the face of intense persecution.

At this point, it’s worth mentioning that there has historically been some controversy around accepting the verses in Isaiah and Ezekiel as de-

The

Kingdom

27

Revelation 12:1-12 (ESV) And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared

by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. 7Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon 1

and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!�

DIG DEEPER scriptions of Satan’s fall. Because Isaiah 14 was originally addressed to the King of Babylon and Ezekiel 28 to the King of Tyre, some have argued that these prophecies cannot really be about Satan. However, there are good reasons to believe that more is going on here than just words spoken against pagan kings.

First, the details in these two prophecies go well beyond the natural splendor of earthly kings in earthly kingdoms. The descriptions of an angelic figure who was present in Eden far transcend any merely human ruler. Second, Biblical prophecy routinely shows what we call “double fulfillment”, a phenomenon where particular prophecies directly speak to contemporary events, or events in the near future, while at the same time referring to things that would occur much later. For example, David wrote several prophecies about himself which were then applied more fully to Jesus by the New Testament writers. We also see some New Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the first century A.D. but which also have a fulfillment at a date yet to come (such as Matt 24). Third, as we’ve pointed out, the imagery of Revelation 12 concerning Satan’s fall is far too similar to the imagery of Isaiah and Ezekiel to be coincidental.

We should also consider Satan’s link to the world system that opposes God’s kingdom. It is important to note that the kingdoms of Tyre and Babylon are both seen in the Bible as emblems of that evil world system. Finally, another key passage from the New Testament explicitly uses the imagery of Satan being cast out of Heaven, just as is found in Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, and Revelation 12. In Luke 10:18 Jesus tells His disciples, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven...” Taking all this into account, we can safely conclude that these prophecies of Isaiah and Ezekiel reveal more than just direct indictments against the human kings they were specifically written to, and actually inform the reader as to Satan’s fall and eternal disgrace.

Recommended Resource:

Elwell, Walter A. ed. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001.

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As you read the Psalms from Day 2-5, look for the connections between each passage and Jesus. Write your answers in the Reflect portions below.

DAY 1 Read:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Reflect:

This verse is God’s first declaration of His plan to restore creation - the coming Kingdom. How would you describe the Kingdom of God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

“Lord, as I begin this study. I surrender all expectations to you. Open my eyes to see You, my ears to hear You, and my heart to receive all that You have for me throughout the course of this study.”

Day 2

Read & Reflect:

Psalm 2:7-8 7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.”

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

In your prayer time, use each Psalm as a starting point.

DAY 3

Read & Reflect:

Psalm 8:4-6 4 ...what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

DAY 4

Read & Reflect:

Psalm 22:1, 16-18 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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DAY 5

Read & Reflect:

Psalm 24:7-8 7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

DAY 6

Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put in your heart and mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your devotional time this week.

What is one thing you will do as a result of what you’ve heard from God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Theme Verse Revisited Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 33

Session 2: The Prophetic King

Theme Verse Dan 2:44 (NASB) In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

When all was lost because of Adam’s sin, humanity quickly forgot about God. Most people were happy to go their own way and do their own thing. God knew it would be necessary to reintroduce Himself to mankind. He started that process through a man named Abraham and his descendants, who eventually became the nation of Israel.

When you look at it in the natural, the Israelites had a lot working against them in the Old Testament. They had to occupy a land with fortified cities. When they settled into that land, the peoples who surrounded them on all sides automatically became their enemies. And those enemies were pagans who worshiped false gods that they viewed as local deities, limited in power to the geographical area in which they were worshiped.

This last difficulty plagued the ancient Hebrew people worse than any other they faced as a nation. Time and again the Old Testament tells us how the Israelites fell away from following God and turned to the false gods of their neighbors and enemies, despite all the warnings and punishments God sent them. From our New Testament Christian perspective, it’s tempting to think that the Israelites must have been out of their minds. If we consider the issue in its historical context, however, it becomes easier to sympathize with them.

Israel’s initial identity as a nation was shaped during their captivity as slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. At that period of history, Egypt was the most powerful nation on earth. It was also a thoroughly pagan country where it was illegal to worship anyone other than the numerous Egyptian gods - the most important of whom was Pharaoh himself. The Hebrew people gradually forgot about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When Moses returned to Egypt to set the people free, it is fairly clear that Yahweh was a pretty distant memory for them (see Exodus 6:8-9).

Old habits die hard. After their release from four hundred years of slavery and pagan worship under the Pharaohs, Israel had a difficult time seeing Yahweh as anything other than just another god: limited in power and influence, contending with other local gods. We see evidence of this all throughout the Old Testament – perhaps nowhere as clearly as in Exodus 32, when the golden calf was made at the foot of Mount Sinai. There the people thought Moses had died and God had fallen silent.

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They concluded that God wasn’t powerful enough to lead them any farther, so they thought it best to find another god who might help them and offer worship to that god instead. The image of the golden calf that Aaron constructed was most likely a throwback to one of the various cow gods worshiped in ancient Egypt.

As we read the Old Testament prophets, we discover that one of their most important roles was to declare to Israel the universal kingship of God. God greatly desired for His people to know Him as He is! He wanted them to understand that He is in charge of everything, that He governs the entire creation for His glory and their benefit, and that all they needed to do was trust Him and follow Him so that unbelievable blessing would be theirs.

But it took quite a long time and a great deal of hardship before Israel began to grasp these truths about God. In our current day, we often still struggle to believe that God is the God of everything and that He really is in charge. Our sinfulness commonly leads us to pursue things other than Him, and our worries regularly cause us to doubt Him. We can be certain, though, that God wants us to know the same things He taught Israel: that He is all-powerful, all-knowing, always good to His people, and always ruling with their benefit in mind.

With this thought, let’s begin session two.

When you think of God, what images come to mind?

• Welcome anyone new to the group.

• Open with a brief, simple prayer inviting God to give you

insight as you study. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

• Last week you were encouraged to spend more time dai-

ly in prayer and in the Word. Share with one another your highlights from the past week.

• How have you become more aware of the Kingdom of God in your everyday life since the last meeting?

• Growth only happens when we are intentional about it. It

makes all the difference to have someone come alongside to encourage you as you grow. Pair up with someone in your group (men should partner with men and women with women). This person will be your accountability partner (page 155). You can encourage each other to complete the goals you set for yourselves during this study.

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Watch the DVD for this section now.

Use the space provided to record your thoughts, questions, and things you want to remember or follow up on.

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The year is in the 1400s BC. The people of God are sweeping over the earth, defeating one nation after another on their way to possessing the Promised Land, and the country of Moab is next in line. Balak, King of Moab, hires a prophet named Balaam and takes him to the top of a mountain to look down on the Israelites’ camp and speak curses over them. But every time Balaam opens his mouth to curse them, a blessing comes out!

As you might imagine, this infuriates the Moabite king. In Numbers 23 Balaam answers him, “They cannot be cursed! There is a shout of a king among them!”

Just one problem – Israel doesn’t have a king at this point in time!

Moses is their leader and he is a prophet. So what king can Balaam be talking about?

He was Jesus, the second Person of the Trinity, the pre-incarnate Christ – unseen by man, but standing in the midst of His people three thousand years ago, and yearning for the day when He might take on human flesh and establish His Father’s Kingdom on earth once again.

Balaam heard the shout of the coming King three thousand years ago.

All throughout the prophecies and events of the Bible, we hear that voice growing louder and closer.

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Psalm 2:1-12 (ESV) Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

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DISCUSS & APPLY Psalm 2 assures the people of God that His Son Jesus reigns. It powerfully guarantees to us that God’s ways will ultimately triumph, and urges His people to live with confidence in Him.

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Which verses stand out to you, and why?

How do these verses provide peace in the midst of our 2 world’s present circumstances?

7-9 convey a powerful truth that applies to our 3 Verses world here and now. The Father has made Jesus the King

of every nation on earth throughout human history. How should this reality inform our perspective, or even our priorities, beyond our own personal lives?

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB) For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

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Jesus is given four names in Isaiah 9:6. Share what comes to 4 your mind for each one.

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God Eternal Father

Prince of Peace

The last phrase of this passage declares, “The zeal of the 5 LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” If you believe that God

is faithful to His Word, then you can trust that everything in this passage will come to pass. How does this truth impact your life?

The book of Daniel lays much of the groundwork for our understanding of the coming King and the Church’s role in His Kingdom.

Dan 2:44 (NASB) In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

DISCUSS & APPLY

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There is a role for God’s people today as His Church. We are called to not only trust in the “crushing” that our King has done, but carry out the “crushing” that He has given us authority to do. What does it look like for an individual church to walk this call out in their community?

What does it look like for you to walk out the truth of this 8 verse in your life? In your family? In your workplace?

COMING NEXT WEEK: The King Arrives

KING

who produces

CRUSHES SATAN

KINGDOM CRUSHES KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD Mindsets, Ideology, Monetary Spheres, etc.

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GROW

as a GROUP

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We have spent a good amount of time discussing how the Kingdom of God is lived out through us. As a group, begin praying about and planning an outreach that can be done by Session 6. Transformational growth takes place when we are Loving God, Loving Each Other (Small Groups), and Loving the World (outreach). We’ve provided some ideas on page 154 to get you started.

Developing our ability to serve (Love the World) 2 according to the leading of the Holy Spirit takes time and

persistence in getting to know our Lord (Loving God). So the first step toward serving others is, paradoxically, spending time alone with God. Here are some simple ways to connect with God. At your next meeting, share your insights with one another.

Prayer. Commit to personal prayer and daily connection with God. The Reflect Daily sections include prayers you can use or expand on. You may find it helpful to write your prayers in a journal.

Daily Devotions. The Reflect Daily sections supply a short Bible passage and a prayer activity for you to read five days a week during the course of this study.

In our hurry-up world, we often move too quickly

through every thing - even reading God’s Word! Slow down. Don’t just skim, but take time to read carefully and reflect on the passage. What is God saying to you through these words? Copy a portion of Scripture on a card and tape it on your car’s dashboard or the bathroom mirror. Think about it when you sit at red lights or while you’re eating a meal. Write down your insights on what you read each day. On the sixth day, jot down a summary of your thoughts and application.

In the last session we asked you to use the Spheres of 3 Influence diagram (page 23) to identify people in your life

in need of Jesus. As you continue praying for these people, also consider ways you can take action this week.

Why not invite one of your friends to join you this weekend for a church service and lunch? This can provide a great opportunity to talk with someone about your faith.

To close your time together, spend some time worshiping 4 God in whatever way works best for your group - praying,

reading Scripture, or singing. Ask, “How can we pray for you this week?” Invite everyone to share, but don’t force the issue. Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer Tracker on page 156.

Always close your meeting with prayer.

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What other Old Testament passages predict the coming of Jesus?

Even though Jesus is never mentioned by name in the Old Testament, there are plenty of passages in it that speak of Him. We’re going to focus here on one of those passages, Daniel 7:13-14, as it is particularly important to the study of the Kingdom of God and wasn’t mentioned in our previous Discuss & Apply section.

So how do we know that this passage is speaking about Jesus? Our first clue is the reference to “a son of man”. In the New Testament Gospels, Jesus called Himself “the son of man” 81 times (Matt 8:20; Mark 2:28; Luke 18:31; & John 1:51, just to name a few). Jesus gives Himself this title on purpose in order to connect Himself to the prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14.

Dan 7:13-14 (ESV) I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

13

The second clue is the phrase “with the clouds of heaven”. This concept of coming and going in the clouds crops up in several important passages of Scripture. In Mark 14:61-62 (ESV), the Pharisees have put Jesus on trial and are cross-examining Him. “‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’ 62And Jesus said, ‘I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’” Immediately the Pharisees fly into a rage - but why?

They recognize that Jesus is referring to the passage from Daniel and applying it to Himself. He is explicitly claiming that He is God, and warning them that they will see Him again when He returns in the clouds to judge them and all creation at His second coming.

Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended back into Heaven.

Acts 1:9-11 (ESV) says “9And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” Notice the significant

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phrase in verse 9 - “a cloud took him”. Along with this, while His disciples stood there staring into the sky for who knows how long after He ascended, the angels came and reminded them that He would be coming back again in the same way in the clouds. This is meant to be proof of His Messiahship.

Our third clue from Daniel 7 is that the “son of man” was given an eternal Kingdom that consists of “all peoples, nations, and languages”. We find a New Testament reference to this as well, in Revelation 7:9-10 (ESV): “9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'” This passage from Revelation is an almost exact parallel to the prediction in Daniel 7, and makes it crystal clear that this prophecy has its direct fulfillment in the second coming of Christ.

But you might be asking yourself, “If Jesus is the Son of God, why does He call Himself ‘the son of man’?” That’s a great question - and the answer is actually pretty simple! Evangelical scholars largely agree that Daniel was shown the truth of who Messiah was to be: God in the flesh, the incarnate Christ.

Messiah wouldn’t just be a warrior for His people - He would be the One to bear their sin and face God’s wrath on their behalf. Daniel himself probably didn’t fully understand what he was seeing; he just tells us, “I saw the Messiah coming in the clouds...and He looked like a man.” What this means is that in the New Testament Gospels, Jesus is identifying Himself as the One whom Daniel saw. Paradoxically then, this term “son of man” - Jesus’ most often-used name for Himself - reveals His deity more than it speaks to His humanity.

Recommended Resource:

Chapell, Bryan. The Gospel According to Daniel: A Christ-Centered Approach. Baker Books, 2014.

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This week, we encourage you to use this prayer as a daily starting point:

DAY 1 Read:

Daniel 7:14 (ESV) And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Reflect:

What comfort, faith and hope does this Scripture give you? Thank God for it.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Day 2 Read:

Heb 2:8 (NASB) ...“You have put all things in subjection under his feet.�

For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Reflect:

Is there anything in your life you have not subjected to the Lordship of Jesus? See the prayer above.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

“Lord Jesus, thank you so much for revealing your Lordship to me. I give you Lordship over every area of my life - especially (name areas). Give me eyes to see Your Kingdom coming and Your will being done. Let me further Your Kingdom in all my thoughts, words, and deeds today. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”

DAY 3 Read:

Jeremiah 23:5 (ESV) Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Reflect:

Do you trust that King Jesus will “deal wisely” with you? Why or why not?

Take some time to speak fresh faith and trust in His Lordship over your life.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

DAY 4 Read:

Isaiah 9:6 (NASB) For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Reflect:

How have you seen Jesus at work in your life as a Wonderful Counselor?

Mighty God? Eternal Father? Prince of Peace?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

The

Kingdom

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DAY 5 Read:

Hebrews 12:28 (NASB) Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe...

Reflect:

How does this verse help bring comfort to a fallen world? Why is gratitude such a crucial part of worship?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

DAY 6

Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put in your heart and mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your devotional time this week.

Reflect:

What is one thing you will do as a result of what you’ve heard from God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Theme Verse Revisited Dan 2:44 (NASB) In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 53

Session 3: Birth Through Wilderness

Theme Verse Luke 1:31, 33b 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus...33his kingdom will never end.

It’s a plot you have encountered in thousands of books, poems, and films: a lone heroic leader rises from the ashes of obscurity to save his people from the oppression of a cunning tyrant who has usurped the kingdom. When our hero first steps onto the scene, he doesn’t look like anything special; he’s a farm kid, a weakling, maybe an outlaw.

Unnoticed at first, he rises to prominence with a disarming lack of personal ambition, driven by his passion to rescue those held down by the weight of injustice. Eventually we discover that this hero is anything but ordinary – in fact, he’s the true heir to the throne. With only a band of unfit followers, he defeats the tyrant, vanquishes the corruption and darkness, and sits on the kingdom’s throne as its rightful leader, beloved by all.

This is, in part, the legend of Robin Hood, and of countless other stories we hold dear – but it’s far more than fiction. Deep in each of our hearts, we realize that mankind is living under an evil oppression. And we long for some great hero to arise who will deliver us. These longings stem from our most ancient origins – from the day of Adam’s fall.

In the pages of Scripture, we see that the nation of Israel shared these longings. Their rise to prominence and prestige under God’s blessing was followed by disaster. The nation shattered into two separate kingdoms, at war with each other and their neighbors. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and the people of Israel spent seventy years exiled to foreign lands. Prophets spoke of a coming Messiah and a renewing of the great kingdom of David, but that hope must have seemed very distant. Four hundred years then passed between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament, and during those years there was no prophetic voice in the nation at all. In other words, God’s people went for four centuries without hearing from Him. By the time the New Testament begins, the Roman Empire had conquered Israel and installed a foreigner, Herod, on the throne - a far cry from the Messiah of Israel’s hopes. God’s people had become exiles in their own land.

And then an angel shows up on the doorstep of a young virgin in a poor, backwater town in Galilee. His message is the one her parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and entire people have been waiting to hear for four hundred years: “The promised Deliverer is almost here...and you’re

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going to be His mother!” What a whirlwind of emotions Mary must have felt at that news! In Luke 2, we read that Mary marveled at her Son and “treasured up all these things in her heart” (vs. 51).

There must have been so many things that went through her mind during the years watching Jesus grow up.

Through the womb of a young virgin, God the Father inserted into the human race His very own Son – one who was fully human but also One who was fully God – the rightful heir to the throne.

Deep in each of our hearts, we realize that mankind is living under an evil oppression. And we long for some great hero to arise who will deliver us.

• Welcome anyone new to the group.

• Open with a brief, simple prayer inviting God to give you

insight as you study. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

• What are some insights that were gained during the first two sessions that have made a strong impression on you?

• Last week, you were encouraged to set aside time each

day for devotions. Share what you feel God has been speaking to you.

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Watch the DVD for this section now.

Use the space provided to record your thoughts, questions, and things you want to remember or follow up on.

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Not much else is said about the life of Jesus until He reaches adulthood.

But we find out in the Gospel accounts that before Jesus’ own ministry begins, His cousin, a man called John the Baptist, has started blazing the trail for him. John’s role was so significant that Jesus Himself called him the greatest of the prophets (Matt 11:11). What made John such an important person? Was it just the timing of his arrival on the scene? Not exactly.

What set John above all the prophets who preceded him was his message.

The other prophets saw glimpses, but John grasped the whole picture - the Kingdom of God has arrived, and so has its King. But, he tells Israel, they don’t look the way you thought they would.

Throughout the Old Testament, we hear that God exclusively chose the people of Israel to be a living message of reconciliation between Him and all humanity. But by the time of John, Israel had lost sight of that mission.

Instead, they believed that they, and they alone, were the people of God. Because they were descended from Abraham, God's love and special favor were guaranteed for them. For centuries, they had anticipated the coming of a second David who would establish a powerful Jewish kingdom and restore the nation of Israel to international prominence. Messiah, they believed, would be a national deliverer. But John had a message that was about to shatter those ideas.

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1 John 3:8b (ESV) The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

In Matthew 3 we hear that the Jews throughout the entire region of the Jordan River were responding to John’s message and being baptized by him as a sign of their repentance and submission to God. But when the religious leaders of Israel showed up to be baptized, John told them, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham” (vs. 8 & 9). Messiah’s mission, John said, was not primarily to deliver the nation of Israel from political oppression - it was to deliver individual people from the ancient curse of sin. Citizenship in Messiah's kingdom had nothing to do with being an Israelite by blood; it was all about having a heart that was repentant before God and submissive to Him. It was about having a relationship with the King!

1

According to Scripture, Jesus came to do just two things.

What are they? Why couldn’t anyone else have done them?

2 What “works of the devil” did Jesus come to destroy?

If we lived with these two Kingdom truths constantly in the 3 forefront of our minds, what changes might we see in our

daily lives?

Matt 1:21 (ESV) She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

Luke 4:1-14a

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

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Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”

4

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

5

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

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9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

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14

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…

The

Kingdom

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In Genesis 3, we learn that Satan used three different 4 angles in tempting Eve. He presented the forbidden fruit

to her as “good for food”, “pleasing to the eye”, and “desirable for gaining wisdom” (Gen 3:6). Take a look at the chart we’ve provided comparing this passage, Luke 4:1-14, and with 1 John 2:16. How did Satan use similar angles in his temptation of Jesus?

Think about the temptations you face in your daily life.

5 Do you see similarities between the ways Eve and Jesus

were tempted, and your experiences?

GEN 3 Good for Food Pleasing to the Eye

Desirable for Gaining Wisdom Adam Fails

MATT 4/LUKE 4 Hunger (after 40 days of fasting) Jesus chooses the word of the true Provider rather than accepting Satan’s immediate provisions Eyes (showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world to entice Him) Jesus chooses God’s long-term plan for the Kingdom over Satan’s immediate gratification Pride (Satan dares Jesus to prove His identity) Jesus, mindful of God’s promise that He will crush Satan’s head, replies, “Don’t tempt Me!”

Jesus Triumphs

1 JOHN 2:16

Lust of

Flesh Lust of Eyes Pride of Life

DISCUSS & APPLY

Psalm 91:11-13 11

12

13

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Satan quoted a passage of Scripture the third time he 6 tried to tempt Jesus - but he left out an important part.

Read Psalm 91:11-13.

Why do you think Satan decided to ignore verse 7 (1 Peter 5:8 may help shed some more light on this.)

How does this impact your 8 response to this temptation?

13?

understanding of Jesus’

COMING NEXT WEEK: The moment that all of human history

has been anticipating...

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Every one of us has a calling, and every one of us will be opposed by the enemy when we begin to walk in that calling.

GROW

as a GROUP

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Last week, you started planning your group’s outreach, to be completed before week 6. This is a way to live out the Kingdom of God as a group. Continue to discuss and plan.

2

Groups that connect outside the regular meeting time build stronger bonds and feel a greater sense of purpose. Why not plan a social outing with group members? During this session, brainstorm about activities you could do together - enjoy a meal or a night out.

3

Before beginning your study together, you discussed shared ownership (Small Group Agreement on

page 10) and filled in the Small Group Calendar on

page 13. Review this Calendar to ensure that it is up to date. Shared Ownership is a key element of any Small

Group. The group connects and thrives when

everyone has skin in the game.

4

To close your time together, spend some time worshiping God in whatever way works best for your group - praying, reading Scripture, or singing. Ask, “How can we pray for you this week?” Invite everyone to share, but don’t force the issue. Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer Tracker on page 156.

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Why did Jesus get

baptized by John?

Early in each of the first three Gospels we read an account of Jesus being baptized in the Jordan River. For many believers this is a little confusing because, from our Christian perspective, baptism is meant as a visible sign that a person is in a relationship with Jesus. It’s an act that demonstrates submission to Him - so why did He need to be baptized? He’s God…He didn’t need to submit to anyone, did He? In order to understand what this is all about, the best place to start might be to examine what John’s ceremony of baptism meant and where it came from. Jews of the time period were familiar with a variety of religious ceremonies involving water, so it will help us to take a look at their beliefs on this subject. In his book A Theology of the New Testament, scholar George Eldon Ladd lists several Jewish traditions that may have been the basis for John’s baptism.

The first tradition he describes is the practice of the

Qumran community, a Jewish apocalyptic sect that was responsible for creating what we know today as the Dead Sea Scrolls. They lived separate from their fellow Jews because they believed that the popular Judaism of their day had become defiled. They practiced an extremely strict application of Jewish law as well as daily ceremonial washings for spiritual cleansing.

The Qumran washings and John’s baptism differ somewhat; the Qumran community’s “baptism” was required over and over, while the baptism that John introduced was meant to be performed only once on an individual.[1] The second tradition Ladd mentions is the ritual washing for Gentile converts to Judaism. This tradition bears greater resemblance to John’s baptism than does the washing ritual of the Qumran community in two significant ways. First, both were symbolic of a complete change in one’s life and identity. Second, both were single events, performed only once on the day that marked the beginning of the initiate’s new life.[2] The third and final tradition that Ladd brings up is the ordinary religious washings spoken of in Old Testament law, which were tied to the concepts of cleanness and purification. Some of these would have been particular to the Levitical priesthood, to prepare them for their service in the tabernacle or Temple, while others would have been practiced by all Jews of the time period. This second category of common water ceremonies were carried out at specific times, or for specific reasons, in the life of the average Israelite.[3] Despite the varying opinions of Bible scholars, we can’t know for sure which of these traditions served as the basis for John’s baptism. What we do know is that these three types of religious water ceremonies would have been the interpretive lens through which the Jews of that time period understood what John was doing. We also know from the Gospel accounts

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that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. It meant turning away from previous ways of thinking and doing things. It meant committing to do things God’s way - letting Him be in charge of one’s life. It is this baptism of repentance that Jesus engaged in.

This presents another interesting puzzle for us. We’re told in Scripture that Jesus was entirely without sin, right? So what would He need to repent from? This issue perplexed John the Baptist as well. He questioned Jesus as to why He, God in the flesh - perfect in every way - would need to be baptized for repentance by John, an ordinary, sinful human. Jesus’ response to him is intriguing. He told John that He wanted this baptism of repentance because “it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt 3:15).

In order to be in right standing with God, John’s baptism was a necessary demonstration of repentance for sinful people to make. Even though Jesus didn’t need to repent for Himself, His whole mission in becoming human was to stand in our place.

So Jesus was baptized to demonstrate repentance in our place, as our representative.

He was fulfilling all righteousness on our behalf. In other words, in preparing Himself to become the sin sacrifice for God’s people, He identified Himself with their sin. Ceremonially speaking, He was making a statement that His people’s sins were no longer theirs…but were now His instead.

This momentous act symbolizes the whole purpose of Jesus’ incarnation. Here’s our reality: all of us are guilty of hateful, wicked things that God detests, abominations which He says in His law will never

DIG DEEPER be allowed in His presence. It is an utterly miserable condition we find ourselves in. Now think about it: all of that ugliness, all of that sin that God hates, which keeps us separate from Him…He declared all of it to be His ugliness, not ours. God came down and became one of us. He got His hands dirty by calling our sin His own - the very sin He said He would never allow in His presence. He took the weight of our sin on Himself, to the point that Scripture says He became a curse on our behalf. And in its place, He gave us His righteousness.

Hebrews 4:15-16 (ESV) says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses because He shared them. He experienced hunger, sickness, exhaustion, loneliness, and every other misery of the human condition firsthand. As He bore our failings on the cross, He was uniquely aware of the pain so many of those failings cause us. He is intimately acquainted with the human experience because, in His unfathomable love and mercy, He chose to make that experience His own. And He also chose to redeem it for us, that not only would He share in our hardships, but we would share in His eternal victory.

[1] George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1993) 36.

[2] Ladd, 38.

[3] Ladd, 39.

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This week, we encourage you to use this prayer as a daily starting point:

DAY 1 Read:

Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Reflect:

Think of some past experiences when you surrendered to God. How was your life changed as a result?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Day 2 Read:

Matt 1:21 (ESV) She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

Reflect:

Look back on your life story. What has Jesus saved you from? Your life story is a powerful tool that you can use to share Christ with others.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

“Thank you, Lord Jesus, for redeeming my life and calling me your favorite child. You have come to save and deliver me from all the works of Satan, my flesh and the world.

Give me fresh faith for deliverance in [name the areas].

Deliver me from evil and keep me from temptation. As your favorite child, Lord, today I ask for your favor in [name the areas]. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

DAY 3 Read:

Luke 4:1-4 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”

Reflect:

How has the Bible been a source of nourishment and encouragement in your life?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ _________________ _________________ Remember to connect with your Accountability Partner this week. _________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 71

DAY 4 Read:

Luke 4:13-14a 13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. 14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit...

Reflect:

Where have you been tempted and perhaps even fallen? Receive His mercy, forgiveness and grace today. Look up a new Scripture to quote in the power of the Spirit the next time you are faced with this temptation.

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

DAY 5 Read:

Psalm 103:2-5a 2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits - 3who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5who satisfies your desires with good things...

Reflect:

Put your name in place of “my soul.� Read the verse out loud this way several times and let it sink in. How would it change your life to believe this more strongly?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Theme Verse Revisited Luke 1:31, 33b 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus...33his kingdom will never end.

DAY 6

Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put in your heart and mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your devotional time this week.

Reflect:

What is one thing you will do as a result of what you’ve heard from God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 73

Session 4: Gospels after Wilderness

Theme Verse

Matt 4:17 (ESV) From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.�

If you were allowed to only work toward one goal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That’s a pretty huge question, isn’t it? You would have to give that some serious thought. You would need to weed through all the things you spend time working on and consider what to let go of. That would probably be painful. You would realize that many of the good things that you invest time and energy in would have to be sacrificed for the sake of that one, all-important goal. You would have to decide what one thing mattered most in your whole life. Your family?

Your dreams? Your beliefs?

We find out in the Gospels that during Jesus’ three years of ministry on earth He had only one goal - getting the people around Him to understand one message. He spent 1,095 days saying the same thing over and over in different ways. Think about it: God has become a human, physically in our midst, sharing in our pain, subjecting Himself to our circumstances, about to die for our sins. It’s the most pivotal point in all of history - the hinge on which the redemption of the universe hangs. And at this critical moment, God keeps repeating just one message. What is this one thing that is so crucial for us to know?

Was His one message about God’s love? The answer to that is no. Now don’t misunderstand: the reality of God’s love is certainly in Jesus’ message, and He had a lot to say about God’s love. But that wasn’t His focus. So maybe His one message was about how to get to Heaven when we die? That’s not the answer either. Jesus wasn’t just concerned about people going to Heaven when they die; He was also concerned with changing the state of things here on earth, both in the present and the future.

So what was His one message?

When Jesus finished preparation for ministry at the end of His wilderness temptation, Matthew’s Gospel continues the story in chapter four in these words: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (v. 17). This is the one message!

We tend to underestimate how important this passage is. Notice that it doesn’t say, “At that time.” That would imply that this was merely His first message. “From that time” has the sense of continual forward movement

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about it. It means that this message is what He preached from the beginning until the very end. This is the one thing He wants us to understand. So what does it mean?

With Jesus’ arrival on the scene, God’s Kingdom - His rulership over the universe and in relation to each human life individually - had come into the world in a whole new way.

This was incredibly wonderful news - and at the same time, utterly terrifying news. Jesus wanted the people to understand that whether this news was wonderful or terrifying depended on their answer to one question. Were they for God or were they for themselves? His call to them was clear: Repent. In other words, respond to God’s rulership - submit to Him and get on His side, because His Kingdom has arrived.

This message is no less important to us two thousand years later. Human nature has not changed, and just like the Israelites of Jesus’ day, we are constantly tempted to put ourselves and our own desires first. But God offers us an amazing opportunity to come into relationship with Him by trusting Jesus and voluntarily making Him our King - by letting Him teach us to live life His way. Let’s take a look at the Gospels, where we see this message in action.

• Open with a brief, simple prayer inviting God to give you

insight as you study. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

• Share the story of how you came into relationship with Jesus.

• How have you become more aware of the Kingdom of God in your everyday life since the last meeting?

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Watch the DVD for this section now.

Use the space provided to record your thoughts, questions, and things you want to remember or follow up on.

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Take turns reading the following discussion questions and directing the conversation among the group.

Not only was the Kingdom the only message of Jesus during His three years of ministry, but it is the primary message of the Bible and the roadmap to understanding what God has been doing throughout all of history and in our own time. Let’s look at this single-message, three-year ministry a bit closer.

Year One: Inauguration Jesus stepped into ministry fresh out of His 40-day wilderness showdown with Satan. His message was unmistakably succinct: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17).

Remember this promise from Genesis 3:15b: “...he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Year Two: Illustration The Kingdom isn’t just a verbal proclamation, but a visual demonstration. This becomes clear during Jesus’ second year of ministry as He heals the sick, casts out demons, and teaches His disciples a myriad of parables pertaining to the availability and accessibility of the kingdom.

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Year Three: Intensification The last year of any assignment seems to always be the most intense.

Jesus’ final year of ministry is marked by blatant opposition from all sides, both natural and spiritual - even from his own camp. Nevertheless, His strategy to defeat the enemy and prepare His people to advance His Kingdom is unfolding – specifically, as His disciples step more and more into ministry themselves.

The Final Week If Jesus’ last year of ministry was intense, the last week was extreme.

In fact, it’s typically referred to as Passion Week. The spiritual battle is palpable and His message of the Kingdom is getting more personal. The Jewish religious establishment, enraged by His claim that God will give the Kingdom to the Gentiles, is now hunting for ways to kill Him. One of His disciples is planning to betray Him, and the rest will ultimately abandon Him. He is about to die a gruesome, horribly public death reserved for the worst of criminals – the mocked “King” who claims He can “save” others, but can’t even save Himself.

Or is this all part of the plan? Perhaps the only way to save others, is to not save Himself?

John 3:3 & 5 (NASB) Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” 3

1

In John 3:3 & 5, Jesus emphasizes the concept of being born again. Why is it so important to be born again?

We often think of salvation as synonymous with the 2 forgiveness of our sins, but in these verses, Jesus doesn’t

describe it that way. Have you ever considered that the most important aspect of your salvation is gaining access to the Kingdom of God?

Matt 6:9-13 This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.�

9

When Jesus prayed verse 10 of this prayer, what do you 3 think He envisioned?

What do you think He wanted His disciples to envision as 4 they prayed it, and how do you think He wanted them to

live it out?

What would you expect to happen if God answered 5 this prayer right now in your life? Your family? Your job?

Your school? Your church? Your neighborhood?

The

Kingdom

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Matt 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

Jesus referred to John the Baptist as the greatest of the 6 prophets, as he was privileged with announcing the coming King. What did Michael say it means that “the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it”?

7

Do you consider yourself someone who is “laying hold of” the Kingdom? How so?

What are some practical steps you can take to “lay hold 8 of” the Kingdom in the weeks ahead?

DISCUSS & APPLY

Matt 16:13-19 (NASB) Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will The “rock” of this passage is the not overpower it. 19I will revelation God gave to Peter that give you the keys of the Jesus is the Christ – the King! kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

13

Who do people say Jesus is today? Who is Jesus to you?

9 How can you demonstrate to others who He is?

10 What is meant by the “gates of hell”? don’t move (and they don’t!), what must it mean 11 Ifforgates the Church to advance God’s Kingdom despite the

power of hell being against us? Where should the Church be “going”? What types of “places” should we be targeting?

Are there areas in your life that the kingdom of darkness 12 currently has control over? (In the Reflect Daily section for

this week, you’ll find some action steps to help you claim the truth of Christ over these areas.)

The

Kingdom

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Matt 27:45-54 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”-which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

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When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

47

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Now leave him alone.

Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

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And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

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At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

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When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” 54

13

How do these Genesis 3:15?

passages

fulfill

the

promise

of

14

Upon Jesus’ death, the curtain in the temple was torn.

Why did the curtain need to be torn? What did it signify? Refer to Exod 26:31-35, Heb 10:19-22.

15

Have a few people share their thoughts or feelings about Jesus’ magnificent accomplishment through His life, death, and resurrection.

COMING NEXT WEEK: The Kingdom Here and Now

John 19:30b ...Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

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GROW

as a GROUP

1

Revisit your Spheres of Influence diagram (page 23).

Spend some time praying about those you have listed. Think about some ways you can connect with them. Can you invite them to come to a church service? Join your Small Group? Just have coffee?

2

Finalize the plans for your group’s outreach.

Remember, the Kingdom of God works in and through you.

3

There are two more sessions left in this study. It’s not too soon to think about whether your group will continue after this study or not. Begin to discuss and pray about it.

4

As you grow in being Kingdom-minded, continue to nurture your relationship with God by spending daily time in prayer and in the Word. Next week share what God has been speaking to you.

5

To close your time together, spend some time worshiping God in whatever way works best for your group - praying, reading Scripture, or singing. Ask, “How can we pray for you this week?” Invite everyone to share, but don’t force the issue. Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer Tracker on page 156.

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DIG

D PR

ER

R

We’ve heard about what the Kingdom is; but how does it work?

As we’ve learned, Jesus’ one goal during His three years of ministry was to preach the coming of the Kingdom; but He spoke about that Kingdom in many different ways. Perhaps His favorite teaching method was the parable - a brief story designed to convey one key truth about the Kingdom in memorable, contemporary images. The parables often sound very simple, but unpacking their deeper meaning can be a challenge.

In Matthew 13, He tells His disciples a series of seven parables illuminating the nature of the Kingdom both as we experience it now and as it will be when He comes again. Let’s take a quick survey of them.

The Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3-9, 18-23) is concerned with the present - with the way people enter the Kingdom. The seed represents the word of God; the sower represents the disciples, and anyone who proclaims the message of the Kingdom. Israel expected that Messiah would attract all nations to them when He came, and that they would function as mediators between God and the Gentiles; but Jesus emphasizes our individual responsibility to respond to His message.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (Matt 13:24-30, 37-43) speaks to the Kingdom in our present

Matt 13:3-9, 18-23 (ESV) And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

3

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time, while simultaneously looking towards its culmination.

Jesus’ audience expected that when Messiah came, His Kingdom would dominate everyone who oppressed them (especially the Roman Empire). But the parable refutes this.

Rather, the Kingdom (the wheat) and Darkness (the weeds) will grow together - in the same space, at the same time. From one perspective, we see that for every step made by the Kingdom of God in this world, the kingdom of darkness will move to oppose it. But there’s a surprising flip side to this coin - if the weeds were taken away, the wheat would be uprooted. In other words, without the weeds, there won’t be any harvest. Our business until the “harvest” is to turn weeds into wheat - to advance the Kingdom.

In the appropriately brief Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matt 13:31-32), we learn an important Kingdom principle: small things matter. The seed seems insignificant when it’s planted, but produces incredible results. The crowds following Jesus hungered for a majestic, glorious king to unfurl his banner right away. Many of them, including Judas Iscariot, were disappointed when Jesus didn’t appear to fulfill that image. The true Kingdom of God, Jesus teaches, begins in obscurity and insignificance - but it will grow into power and greatness.

Matt 13:31-33 (ESV) He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

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He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

33

Matt 13:24-30, 37-43 (ESV) He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’

29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them 24

in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.

The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

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The Parable of the Leaven (Matt 13:33) teaches us that the Kingdom’s effectiveness is not in force, but in influence. Leaven, or yeast, changes the thing that it’s in, causing the dough to rise. In a similar way, a person’s character acts as spiritual leaven, affecting the spiritual climate in their sphere of influence.

The parable doesn’t tell us whether this “leavening” is for good or for bad. The truth is that your spiritual “yeast” could work for good or for bad; it depends on what kind of character you have. As followers of Jesus, we are to advance His Kingdom by the influence of a godly character.

Matt 13:44 (ESV) The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Matt 13:45-46 (ESV) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

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The Parable of the Treasure in the Field (Matt 13:44) sheds light on the form the Kingdom takes. The Jews expected a public Kingdom. On the contrary, says Jesus - it’s hidden, and it’s individual. It’s not a free exhibit for everyone to see, but a personal possession. If you give up everything, it is guaranteed to be yours.

At first glance the Parable of the Pearl (Matt 13:45-46) seems to contradict the Parable of the Treasure in the Field. In this scenario, the treasure of the pearl isn’t hidden - it’s out on the open market for anyone to buy. To obtain it, the merchant runs a steep risk; he leaves, sells everything he has, and rushes back, hoping it is still for sale. Jesus’ teaching here is aimed at an assumption

DIG DEEPER common in His time and in ours - that the Kingdom of God is a kingdom of ease and security for its citizens. Not so, Jesus tells us.

Pursuit of the Kingdom requires us to sell out; it’s a risk venture.

The Kingdom is not for anyone who wants a life of comfort.

In the Parable of the Dragnet (Matt 13:47-50), the most future-focused parable of this series, Jesus describes in greater detail the coming judgment which will eventually separate all non-believers from the subjects of the Kingdom. It’s not the immediate separation the crowds of His day were anticipating, but

Matt 13:47-50 (ESV) 47

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that

was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind.48When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

it is coming nonetheless. As Kingdom subjects, we keep our gaze on this final result, rather than expecting it in the here and now.

Recommended Resource:

Ladd, George Eldon. The Gospel of the Kingdom.

London: Paternoster Press, 1959 Reprint, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000.

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PRESENT/ FUTURE

ISRAEL’S MISUNDERSTANDINGS

KINGDOM TRUTH

Present

Messiah delivers the nation of Israel and turns all nations toward them.

Messiah delivers individuals, who have a duty to respond (four different soils).

Wheat/ Weeds Matt 13:24-30, 37-43; Dan 12:3

Both

The Kingdom of God will dominate Israel’s present oppressors.

The Kingdom will grow amid the world harvest.

Mustard Seed Matt 13:31-32

Both, with emphasis on present

The Kingdom will begin in majesty and glory.

The Kingdom begins in apparent insignificance, but grows into surprising greatness.

Leaven Matt 13:33

Both, with emphasis on present

The Kingdom will dominate by force.

The Kingdom will influence secretly (character).

Present

The Kingdom is public, subduing people under it.

The Kingdom is a hidden, individual thing, but a sure promise.

Present

The Kingdom will be one of ease and security.

The Kingdom requires you to sell out; it’s a risk venture.

Future

The Kingdom will be an immediate separation and judgment.

There will be a final separation and judgment (not immediate).

PARABLE Sower Matt 13:3-9, 18-23

Hidden Treasure Matt 13:44 Priceless Pearl Matt 13:45-46 Drag Net Matt 13:47-50

YOUR KINGDOM

COME YOUR WILL BE DONE 95

The Lord’s Prayer was given to us as a “how-to guide” for prayer.

Each day this week you will focus on one particular aspect of the Lord’s Prayer. This will revolutionize your prayer life.

DAY 1 Read:

Matt 6:9 (NASB) Pray, then, in this way: “Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”

Reflect:

Often our prayers begin with our needs spoken from our earthly perspective. Praising God can give us new perspective on overwhelming situations. What concerns do you need God to give you a new perspective on? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Pray:

Tell God what He means to you. Praise Him. Welcome the Holy Spirit and ask Him to fill your life today.

Day 2 Read:

Matt 6:10 (NASB) “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Reflect:

What does it mean to ask that God’s will would be done in a situation instead of our own? How does this lead us to a place of submission to God?

Matt 6:9-13 9

‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11‘Give us this day our daily bread. 12‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.’

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______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

Declare, “Come your kingdom, be done your will in my life, family, church, work, etc.”

DAY 3

Remember to connect with your Accountability Partner this week.

Read:

Matt 6:11 (NASB) “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Reflect:

Asking God to provide our daily bread is far more than simply asking Him for food; it means requesting His daily provision for your whole life and the lives of those you pray for. How does doing this shape your view of God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

Thank God for His daily provision for your life, present your finances to Him, and pray for the needs of others.

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DAY 4 Read:

Matt 6:12 (NASB) “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Reflect:

Why is it important to forgive those who have offended you? What does the Bible say about forgiveness? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Pray:

Repent of the sins He brings to mind as you seek Him. Release forgiveness to all who may have offended you.

DAY 5 Read:

Matt 6:13 (NASB) “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Reflect: What does this passage imply about a believer’s authority in Christ? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Pray:

Declare this over your family and church: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isa 54:17a). No evil shall befall me, nor any plague come near my dwelling (Psalm 91:10). Every tongue that accuses me in judgment I will condemn. This is my inheritance and my vindication is from you (Isa 54:17b). Therefore, I cancel every assignment of the enemy made against me. I turn away and negate every curse and every negative word spoken against me. And in its place I speak blessing.”

Theme Verse Revisited Matt 4:17 (ESV) From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

DAY 6

Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put in your heart and mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your devotional time this week.

Reflect:

What is one thing you will do as a result of what you’ve heard from God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 99

Session 5: & the Church

The Kingdom

Theme Verses Matt 16:18b (NASB) ...upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Matt 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.�

What makes a story a “classic”? What is it about some stories that grips the majority of readers?

Often, it’s a strong redemptive theme running through the plot. Some classics are about great bravery in the face of danger and evil. Others follow the well-known “rags to riches” theme - centering on a hero who rises from destitute circumstances to prosperity, success, and love.

These stories give us hope for something greater than the frustrations and defeats that so often characterize life. Inside all of us there’s a voice continually whispering, There must be more than this.

The story of the Church unfolds through the pages of Scripture like a Charles Dickens novel. Created for greatness, man was nevertheless plunged into despair and brokenness. Pain, emptiness, and isolation have tormented him ever since, and unless someone intervenes, the only thing he can look forward to is death. The tragedy seems complete...but just as you’d expect from the greatest classic of all time, the Bible reveals that our powerful and benevolent God has had a plan all along. Though they don’t deserve it, He’s going to redeem His people, transform them from the inside out, and give them the greatest opportunity and purpose they can imagine.

As it turns out, we’re living right now in the most epic rags-to-riches story ever conceived. As God’s people, all the hopes we have harbored throughout our lives for something more are coming true in an astonishing, magnificent way. We were delivered from darkness and brought to our true home - the Kingdom of Light. Our lives have been forever changed. And as if this weren’t enough, Ephesians 3:10-11 (ESV) reveals the rest of God’s unbelievably great plan: “...that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord...”

God has taken us from our impoverished condition and given His love to us. But He isn’t stopping there. He has also given us the greatest purpose we could ever ask for: to be a part of His plan to bring His Kingdom to the world. In fact, He has put us in charge of the plan. And He has so thoroughly altered our destiny that He has guaranteed our ultimate triumph over evil and the darkness that once so bitterly enslaved us. He has made us - His children, His Church - a victorious, powerful force that will not be stopped.

Let’s dive into session five!

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• Open with a brief, simple prayer inviting God to give you

insight as you study. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

• If you have conducted an outreach by the time you meet

for this session, take a few minutes as a group to discuss it.

How was your experience? What things worked well, and what can you improve on? How did you feel being an extension of God’s love?

• What is your view of what or who the Church is?

• In reflecting on your daily time with God and your prayer

life, have you seen your prayers become more effective due to the truths you have learned in the past few weeks?

Watch the DVD for this section now.

Use the space provided to record your thoughts, questions, and things you want to remember or follow up on.

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______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 103

Take turns reading the following discussion questions and directing the conversation among the group.

If you haven’t caught it yet, Genesis 3:15 is the most pivotal verse in the entire Bible.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

This subtle promise, decreed by God Himself in the Garden, is ultimately fulfilled by the Son of God, King Jesus, on the cross. We know that Jesus crushed Satan’s head at the cross. But could there be more? If Jesus declared, “It is finished,” why are we, His Church, still here? Why would the King Himself accomplish the greatest mission this planet has ever witnessed, and then leave us?

Could there be more to the plan? Could we be the plan?

Matt 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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Refer to 1 “Great

Matt 28:18-20. How do you feel about this Commission”?

Challenged?

Intimidated?

Encouraged? Excited? Why?

You are not designed to carry out the Great Commission 2 alone. God has given you the privilege of joining His

mission to advance the Kingdom. What encouragement can you take from verse 20?

How can an individual carry out this commission?

3 A local church? The Church through the ages?

Jesus’ disciples received from Him (upward discipleship), 4 poured into each other (peer discipleship), and invested

in others (downward discipleship). Who has poured into your life? Whose life have you poured into?

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Acts 28:23, 30-31 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 30For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

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What do you think it means to live boldly? How do we 5 balance boldness with our call to love others?

In the book of Acts we see the Kingdom of God being 6 lived out daily in the lives of the disciples. In what ways

do you live out the Kingdom in your world? Where could you grow in this?

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 19:8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 1:19-23 (NASB) ...and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

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7

Not only is Jesus in charge – He’s put us in charge! We are seated “with Him in the heavenly places.” How should this fact influence our approach to challenges that confront us?

8

How can you grow in this area?

Ephesians 2:6 (ESV) ...and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...

In the book of Acts, Jesus’ disciples continue to advance the Kingdom through the growing Church.

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Ephesians 3:8-11 Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

8

What is the “manifold 9 made known?

wisdom of God” that is being

How does an individual church make known the 10 “manifold wisdom of God” to the onlooking world? To the

kingdom of darkness?

Jesus’ Kingdom is established, there are still 11 Though enemies to be made into footstools, both on Planet Earth and in our individual lives. What are two or three areas in your life where you have seen “enemies made into footstools”?

What practical advice would you give to someone who 12 wants to experience the same victory?

COMING NEXT WEEK: The Kingdom Yet to Come

Hebrews 10:12-13 (ESV) But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

12

GROW

as a GROUP

1

We’ve talked a lot about our responsibility as the Church to advance the Kingdom of God - but none of us are expected to do this by ourselves. How can your group support one another through prayer?

How could the Kingdom be advanced through you, your 2 family and your Small Group? Does this lead to any action

steps that you can take this week?

To close your time together, spend some time worshiping 3 God in whatever way works best for your group - praying,

reading Scripture, or singing. Ask, “How can we pray for you this week?” Invite everyone to share, but don’t force the issue. Be sure to write prayer requests on your Prayer Tracker on page 156.

Connect with your accountability partner before the next 4 meeting and discuss how you are progressing in your

spiritual walk. Encourage and pray for one another.

Always close your meeting with prayer.

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DIG

D PR

ER

R

If we have Jesus’ authority here and now, why is everything such a mess?

Earlier this session we mentioned Ephesians 2:6, which says that God has “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” This paints a splendid picture for us of God’s people ruling alongside Him in the present. But such a picture naturally raises a few questions. If we are ruling with God presently, why is there so much pain, suffering, and disorder in the world around us? Why can’t we put a stop to all of it? Is God not able to do that?

We know the Bible teaches that God is able to do anything. God does want to put an end to suffering, and He will most certainly do so. But in the course of human history, the way God carries out His plan to accomplish this often seems very slow. The reason for this has to do with just how thoroughly depraved human nature is.

In the Old Testament we see plenty of examples of sinful behavior (such as abandoning one’s wife) and dehumanizing practices (such as slavery). But when God addressed these issues during that time, He didn’t demand that His people cease from all these behaviors immediately. Instead, what we see Him doing is regulating these behaviors to certain conditions - placing parameters on them and limiting the circumstances under which they were allowed to be practiced. For instance, God leads Moses to make a law that men had to present their wives with a certificate of divorce. The effect of this was that a man could no longer throw his wife out for any reason he chose at any time he liked. He now had to go through a legal process to make it happen. The issue of slavery was treated in much the same way.

God didn’t end slavery once and for all; instead He gave laws that commanded masters to provide their slaves with an inheritance and to release them from debts every seven years. The laws regulating divorce and slavery were certainly not perfect solutions, but they were progress.

As we move on into the New Testament, we see further progress with these issues. In Matthew 19, Jesus tells the Pharisees that husbands and wives are one (in contradiction to their thinking that men were of greater standing) and that Moses’ regulation on divorce was only a step in the right direction, not God’s final word on the issue. Likewise, Ephesians 6 makes it clear that in God’s eyes, slaves have the same standing as their masters (a significant paradigm shift in that time) and therefore should be treated with kindness. This redemptive motif has continued into our present day; we have seen slavery outlawed in many parts of the world (especially regions with a historically strong Christian influence) and the cause of women’s rights gaining more and more ground. So we see this pattern of redemptive progress from the Old Testament to the New Testament and on

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into the present. Bible scholar William Webb has called this pattern the Redemptive Movement Hermeneutic.

That’s great, you say, but why didn’t God just make His people stop these sinful actions right away? That’s a reasonable question. First, remember what we’ve already read in Hebrews 2:8 (NASB): “‘You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.” Even though everything has already been subjected to Jesus, and it’s all finished from the perspective of eternity, our earthly perspective is quite different.

We haven’t yet seen the full manifestation of this finished work.

The next thing we must remember is this: the reason God didn’t make His people stop all this bad stuff at once is because He had mercy on them. They required drastic change in every area of life. Think about what it would have been like to be told, “I’m your God now and I demand that you change everything in your life this instant.” There’s no way they could have done it. Instead, God confronted them right away with their need to change how they thought about Him. He knew that when they began to change how they thought about Him, their thinking about what was right and wrong would start to change too.

Think about how God has worked change in our lives as New Testament Christians.

Even with the Holy Spirit in us, transforming us from the inside out, change is still incremental. We can’t change immediately and God, in His mercy, doesn’t force us to. It takes thoroughly evil people a long time to change.

DIG DEEPER So we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. We have authority to come against darkness and force it to flee. Even so, change in the world comes slowly. God isn’t perplexed by this; rather, it’s proof of His mercy that He does not play the part of the tyrant by forcing everyone into immediate submission. Change will come, and it will come through us, His Church, into the world around us…it just comes in God’s timing, not ours.

Recommended Resource: Copan, Paul. Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011

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This week, we encourage you to use the short prayers which have been provided each day as your starting point.

DAY 1 Read:

Col 3:1-5 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Reflect:

Are you willing to turn radically from certain sins from which God is wanting to set you free? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Pray:

“Lord, because You are my life, show me how to say ‘no’ to what displeases You, and to say ‘yes’ to You.”

Day 2 Read:

1 John 4:4 (ESV) Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Reflect:

For what areas in my life do I need greater faith in the Person and Work of Jesus? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Pray:

“Lord, ‘I believe; help my unbelief.’ Teach me to trust You with every area of my life, and continue the work in me that You began.”

DAY 3 Read:

Jer 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Reflect:

In what areas do you feel lost, confused, frustrated, without purpose?

Would you be willing to surrender those things to the Lord and invite Him to reveal His plans and purposes to you?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

“Lord, you are good, and you are a God of brilliant purposes and plans.”

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DAY 4 Read:

Rom 12:6-8 (NASB) 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Reflect:

God created you with various gifts, abilities, interests, passions, and experiences so that you can advance the Kingdom in your world. Take some time to list these out. How can you help build up the Church with what He has given you? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ If you would like to take a spiritual gifts test, visit this website: http://buildingchurch.net/g2s-i.htm

Pray:

“Lord, I thank You that I have been saved not only for residence in Heaven but also to accomplish Kingdom purposes here on earth. Lead, guide and equip me to live out all the unique callings and purposes for which You created me. Do this so that Your Kingdom would not only be more fully expressed in me, but also through me."

DAY 5 Read:

Eph 2:19-22 (ESV) 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Reflect:

The Kingdom of God is best advanced through a unified Church. What does unity look like in the local church?

Theme Verses Revisited Matt 16:18b (NASB) ...upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Matt 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Pray:

“Lord, I realize how important unity and community are to Your purposes for my life and in Your Kingdom. Forgive me for the times I have allowed busyness and isolation to distance me from others and stifle my growth as a believer.”

DAY 6

Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put in your heart and mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your devotional time this week.

Reflect:

What is one thing you will do as a result of what you’ve heard from God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 117

Session 6: The Coming King

Theme Verse Rev 21:1a, 3 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

The invasion of Normandy was a crucial turning point for Allied forces in the Second World War. In the preceding years, the Axis powers had dominated the conflict, but beginning with D-Day on June 6, 1944, the Allies began pushing back Nazi forces and gaining ground in France.

The Normandy campaign broke Hitler’s grip on the Continent and in many ways secured his ultimate defeat, but conflict still raged in Europe for almost a full year longer. From June 1944 to May 1945, Allied forces were faced with an interesting scenario: certain victory was coming, but the need to occupy and advance remained a present reality.

The Kingdom of God exists today in a similar scenario. Jesus crushed Satan’s head at the cross. Certain victory belongs to the Kingdom of God... yet we know from Scripture that the war against darkness will continue to be fought until Jesus returns. Evil and darkness are conquered, but they have not yet surrendered. The Kingdom is already inaugurated; but it is not yet consummated.

The role of God’s people is to occupy and advance during this time between the “already” and the “not yet.” God’s Kingdom exists right now; He rules in the hearts of men and women who love and serve Him. We advance that Kingdom by bringing more people to faith in the saving work of Jesus and establishing the Kingship of God in their hearts and lives. Colossians 1:13 (NASB) says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son…” When people submit their lives to Jesus, they become citizens of His Kingdom.

The day is coming when this age will draw to a close. On that day, the curtain will be opened, and our eyes will see at last all that’s been happening in the spiritual realm. We will see King Jesus “coming with the clouds of heaven” (Dan 7:13), His heavenly entourage rushing after Him. He will eradicate all opposition, cast the enemy into the lake of fire, judge all things in the created order, and then consummate His Kingdom by establishing a New Heaven and a New Earth. The work of advancing the Kingdom will be finished. We will spend eternity enjoying Jesus face to face and living in perfect harmony with one another.

Until then, we are called to occupy - to enforce the victory that has been won, and bring that victory to those who have yet to know its truth.

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• Open with a brief, simple prayer inviting God to give you

insight as you study. You can pray for specific requests at the end of the meeting, or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion.

• If you have conducted an outreach by the time you meet

for this session, take a few minutes as a group to discuss it.

How was your experience? What things worked well, and what can you improve on? How did you feel being an extension of God’s love?

• This is the final session of The Kingdom. How has your view

of the Kingdom changed between Session 1 and today?

How has your life been impacted as a result?

Watch the DVD for this section now.

Use the space provided to record your thoughts, questions, and things you want to remember or follow up on.

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 121

Who likes to wait? Waiting, especially for something you know is inevitably going to happen, is among the hardest things to do.

Revelation is one of the most misunderstood and, unfortunately, misapplied books of the Bible. People with too much time on their hands have picked over it for years trying to decipher a secret code to reveal the date of the so-called “rapture” or the initials of the Antichrist. This happens when we forget the mission that Jesus gave His Church - to advance His Kingdom on the planet until He returns. Revelation is not a pre-Spielberg depiction of the future. It’s not a chronological road map to the end so we can predict our escape. It is not chronological in the least. It is a book of comfort for people in persecution.

The Kingdom is concerned with spiritual progress, but this progress may not appear in the natural realm. In fact, when we experience opposition in the natural realm, it is almost always a sure sign that we are gaining ground in the spiritual. The original readers of Revelation were in the midst of terrible persecution (as are many readers today). In the natural, they were getting destroyed. But John, the author of Revelation, is beckoning them to focus on the Kingdom. In the spiritual, he reminds us, we’ve already won!

Acts 3:19-21

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

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The graphic scenes of death and devastation that John describes are the end only for those who are living in rebellion against Jesus. For the rest of us, they will be a new beginning. Jesus Christ will approach the Father and drop to His knee. He will bow His head in submission and declare, “Where Adam failed You, I have succeeded. Where Adam sinned, I was sinless.

Where Adam lost Your people and this planet, I have saved Your people and made a new planet.”

1

When Jesus returns, He will restore everything. How do you envision the results of “restore everything?”

Is this similiar to what you envision when you pray, 2 “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it

is in heaven?”

original readers of Revelation were in the midst of 3 The terrible persecution. Michael mentioned the Pattern of

Persecution: God allows pressure, which brings purity, which brings progress, which brings persecution. In light of this, do you think we should view persecution as a bad thing, or a good thing?

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Rev 1:12-18 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

12

Though you might not be experiencing outright 4 persecution, we all know what it’s like to be discouraged

by the visible chaos that often consumes our lives. How does this revelation of our unshakable, invisible victory give us courage?

Heavy persecution remains a daily reality for churches in 5 some parts of the world. How do you think believers in

China, the Middle East, Sudan, etc. might be comforted by the promises of Revelation?

Rev 19:11-21 11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.”

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Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

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6

Prior to this session, what was your view of “the end times”?

What insights have you gained in this session?

7

What aspects of this passage resonate the most with you, and why?

8

How does your thinking about the future inform your living in the present?

Rev 21:1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

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I WILL BE THEIR GOD THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE 127

GROW

as a GROUP

1

Throughout the course of these six weeks we have journeyed from Genesis to Revelation examining the unifying theme of the entire Bible: the Kingdom of God. Take some time to share how you have matured in your faith as a result of this study. What changes have you noticed in your day-to-day life?

2

As this is the last meeting in this study, take some time to celebrate the work God has done in the lives of your group members. We call these Small Group Wins. What steps of growth have you noticed in one another? (In other words, no one will talk about themselves. Instead, affirm others in the group.)

3

If your group still needs to make decisions about continuing to meet after this session, have that discussion now. Talk about what you will study, who will Host, and when you will meet.

4

Review your Small Group Agreement on page 10 and evaluate how well you met your goals. Discuss any changes you want to make as you move forward. If you plan to continue meeting and your group starts a new study, this is a great time to rotate responsibilities.

5

Close by praying for your prayer requests. Take a couple of minutes to review the praises you have recorded over the past five weeks on the Prayer Tracker on page 156. Spend some time worshiping God and thanking Him for all He’s done in your group during this study.

Always close your meeting with prayer.

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DIG

D PR

ER

R

Why do Christians disagree so much about what will happen during “the end times”?

The book of Revelation belongs to a specific genre of writing called apocalyptic literature. This genre developed mostly in the “silent years” between the Old and New Testaments. The second half of the book of Daniel and portions of Ezekiel provide examples of apocalyptic literature in the Old Testament, and scholars have also studied a number of other ancient works which, though they are not part of the Biblical canon, help us understand the characteristics and conventions of this genre.

Apocalyptic literature, as a rule, makes heavy use of symbolism and figurative language. Even for contemporary readers, the meaning of the text was not always apparent; from a distance of two thousand years the problem becomes more challenging. Since the days of the early church fathers, believers have been seeking for the best way to make sense of the various teachings about the end times given by Jesus, by Paul, and in Revelation.

In his pamphlet “Four Views of the End Times,” Dr. Timothy Paul Jones provides a helpful overview of the major perspectives Christians have held about eschatology, or the study of the end times. All four views agree on some foundational facts: that Jesus is coming again for His followers, that no one knows when He is coming, and that He therefore expects us to be prepared for His return at all times. What separates these views is their interpretation of when and how some of the end-time “mile markers” found throughout Scripture will be fulfilled.

Scriptural teaching on the end times includes four important concepts.

Revelation 20:4-6 describes a thousand-year period where Jesus reigns on earth, known as the Millennium. Several chapters in Revelation, especially chapters 8 and 9, describe a period of extraordinary disasters and persecution on earth, called the Tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 describes Jesus’ return for His people, which we commonly call the Rapture. Finally, numerous passages refer to Jesus’ second coming, when He physically returns to the earth as King.

Many American Christians are familiar with elements of the view called Dispensational Premillennialism. It’s a relatively recent interpretation of the end times, and has been widespread in the US for the past century. This view places strong emphasis on literal interpretations of Biblical prophecy. According to this model, the first event of the end times will be the Rapture. Following this, the Tribulation lasts for seven years, during which time many Jews will receive salvation. At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus will return and inaugurate the Millennium, reigning over a peaceful earth. The dispensational view holds that Revelation’s references to “Israel” refer to the nation of Israel, which is why it assigns great prophetic im-

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portance to the re-establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.

Historical Premillennialism is an older view of the end times, held by several of the earliest church fathers - including one of John’s own disciples, Papias. In this view, the Church remains on earth during the Tribulation, which serves to purge away false believers. Similar to the dispensational view, the Tribulation is expected to last seven years.

The Rapture will then take place at the same time as Jesus’ second coming. After this, the returned King will inaugurate the Millennial reign on earth, restoring creation. This view places importance on striking a balance between symbolic and literal understandings of Revelation, and perceives it as applying to specific first-century situations as well as to the distant future.

Amillennialism differs from the first two views in that it interprets the Millennium not as a physical reign on the earth, but as Jesus’ spiritual kingship in the hearts of believers.

In the amillennial view, the Tribulation symbolizes the persecution that Christians have faced since the beginning and will continue to face until Jesus’ return. In other words, the Millennium and the Tribulation are taking place now, simultaneously. As the Kingdom progresses, so does persecution. At Jesus’ second coming, the kingdom of darkness will be defeated, and the dead will be resurrected and judged. This view emphasizes a symbolic interpretation of Revelation as well as the meaning the book held specifically for firstcentury readers, who would have perceived many connections to recent events (such as the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD).

DIG DEEPER Postmillennialism is distinguished by the belief that Jesus’ second coming will not happen until after the Millennial reign on earth. Rather, the Millennium will be brought about by the preaching of the Gospel, which will eventually win nearly the whole world to Jesus. The postmillennial view places great emphasis on the transformative power of the gospel.

It was widely embraced during the 1800s, when the surge in global missions was interpreted by many as the beginning of the Millennium. The world wars and economic hardships of the following century dealt serious blows to the popular opinion that the world was improving, and the postmillennial view diminished as a consequence.

Proponents of each of these views can point to specific passages of Scripture that seem to lend credence to their particular interpretation, and each view has been supported by highly-regarded theologians. What we need to keep in mind is that the order in which a particular view places end-times events is not as important as how it perceives the Kingdom of God. Scripture teaches us that the Kingdom is both a present reality in the lives of believers and a future promise of Christ’s return and the new heaven and earth. This already/not yet perspective of the Kingdom is best expressed

by Amillennialism and Historic Premillennialism. Dispensational Premillennialism takes a purely futuristic view of the Kingdom, considering it to be Christ’s visible reign; Postmillennialism, on the other hand, sees the Kingdom as entirely present and simply expanding through time. However, all four of these views are within the bounds of Scripture and are held by Bible-believing Christians. Whatever opinions we form about the details of the end times, they do not change the mission that Jesus has given all of us: to advance His Kingdom until He comes again.

Recommended Resource:

Jones, Timothy Paul. Four Views of the End Times. 2nd ed.

Torrance, CA: Rose Publishing, 2010

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VIEWS OF THE END TIMES FFOUR our Views of the End Times Dispensational Premillennialism

Historic Premillennialism

Is the Kingdom of God present, future, or both?

Future only; it will come with the millennial reign of Christ on earth.

Present as God’s kingship in believers’ hearts and also future regarding the new heaven and new earth.

Will Jesus return physically?

YES

YES

When will Jesus come back?

Jesus will come secretly for His followers before the 7-year Tribulation begins, then publicly before the Millennium.

After a 7-year Tribulation and before the Millennium.

Do the Rapture and second coming of Christ happen simultaneously?

No, they are separate events with either 7 years (pre-Tribulation rapture) or 3½ years (mid-Tribulation rapture) between them.

Will there be a great Tribulation?

YES

YES

YES

Will Christians suffer during the great Tribulation?

The Rapture is either before the Tribulation Yes, Christians will go (pre-Tribulation rapture) through the Tribulation or 3½ years into and be persecuted the Tribulation intensely. (mid-Tribulation rapture).

Will there be a literal 1,000-year Millennium?

Yes, this millennial reign Yes, this millennial reign will begin at the end of will begin at the end of the 7-year Tribulation. the 7-year Tribulation.

Amillennialism

Postmillennialism

Present as God’s kingship in believers’ hearts and also future regarding the new heaven and new earth.

Present only; the Kingdom is here in its fullness, it just needs to advance in scope.

YES

YES

After the fullness of God’s people from every tribe, tongue, and nation have been saved.

After the world has been thoroughly Christianized and the golden age of the Millennium is finished.

YES

YES

The Tribulation is the persecution of Jesus’ people throughout the period between His ascension and 2nd coming. It will grow in scope throughout this period.

The Tribulation was largely a 1st century phenomenon.

Persecution still occurs but it has decreased sharply since the 4th century.

Yes, Christians will go through the Tribulation and face persecution until the second coming.

Yes, Christians will be persecuted as they spread the Gospel.

No, the millennial reign and the present aspect of the Kingdom of God are synonymous. It is God’s kingship in the hearts of people.

The Millennium symbolizes an extended period of peace that will come when the world has been Christianized.

This week, we encourage you to use the short prayers which have been provided each day as your starting point.

DAY 1 Read:

Phil 2:13-16 (NASB) 13 For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. 14Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

Reflect:

Are there things about which you are complaining or grumbling which you need to surrender to the Lord?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

“Lord, help me walk in peace and in faith, not just for myself, but so I can be a light for others.�

Theme Verse Revisited Rev 21:1a, 3 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

Day 2 Read:

Matt 6:19-21 (NASB) 19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Reflect:

What do you consider your treasure? Where do you think it is?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

“Lord, teach me to have Your heart and value the kind of treasure You do.”

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DAY 3 Read:

1 John 3:1-3 1See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.

But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Reflect:

Do you have a heart of anticipation for the things that God has for you in the future?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

“Lord, give me a desire to be more like You - to put off the things in my life that are not like You so that more of You can be revealed in and through me.”

DAY 4 Read:

Luke 17:20-21 (ESV) 20Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Reflect:

The Kingdom is present no matter how discouraging our circumstances may appear. Think of the persecuted church. How is it that the Kingdom of God can be established with them, yet they suffer?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

“Lord, I pray that You would strengthen the persecuted church. Although their natural circumstances seem grim, help them to see that Your Kingdom is in their midst.”

DAY 5 Read:

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Reflect:

In the Reflect Daily section of our first week, we asked you to write down your description of the Kingdom of God. Take a moment to look back at what you wrote. How would you describe the Kingdom of God now?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Pray:

“Lord, You are sovereign and You are good. Thank You for widening my perspective on who You are and what it means to be part of Your Kingdom.

Come Your Kingdom and be done Your will!”

DAY 6

Use the following space to write any thoughts God has put in your heart and mind about the things we have looked at in this session and during your devotional time this week.

Reflect:

What is one thing you will do as a result of what you’ve heard from God?

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ 139

THE KINGDOM

is more than just a powerful story.

This is our present and future reality.

When will it take place? We don’t know - but we’re not to worry about that.

In the present, those of us who know Him need to be intent and dedicated to living lives that advance His Kingdom.

Those of us who do not know Him need to press into this Kingdom now. As Jesus said: you must be born again.

Now, let’s go change the world!

If you have been impacted by this study, please share your story at http://www.mannachurch.org/mystory/

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Group Resources

FAQs

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Hosting for the First Time

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Hosting an Open House

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Session Theme Verses

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Outreach Suggestions

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Accountability Partners’ Check-In

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Prayer Tracker

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FAQs What is a Host?

A Host is the person who coordinates and facilitates the group meetings.

The Host may lead the group discussions themselves, or may take turns doing so with one or more group members. Other group responsibilities can be rotated as well, including supplying/coordinating refreshments, gathering the prayer requests, keeping track of the Small Group Roster, or keeping up with those who miss a meeting. Shared ownership in the group helps everyone grow.

What do we do on the first night of our group?

Like all fun things in life - have a party! A “get to know you” coffee, dinner, or dessert is a great way to launch a new study. You may want to review the Small Group Agreement on page 10 and share the names of a few friends you can invite to join you. But most importantly, have fun before your study time begins! For more ideas on how to host a great kick-off open house, see page 152.

Where do we find new members for our group?

This is simpler than you think. The group is designed to be built around you and the people you already have relationships with. Using the Spheres of Influence chart on page 23, begin shoulder-tapping those in your sphere of influence (oikos); your friends from church, coworkers, neighbors, family members, etc. A shoulder-tap is when you personally invite someone into a group. If you and your group members do this, then your group will have everyone who is supposed to be there.

No matter how you find members, it’s vital that you stay on the lookout for new people to join your group. All groups tend to go through healthy attrition - the result of moves, releasing new leaders, ministry opportunities, and so forth - and if the group gets too small, it could be at risk of shutting down. If you and your group stay open, you’ll be amazed at the people God sends your way. The next person just might become a friend for life. You never know!

How much time per week will this study take?

The group meeting time can be anywhere from 1½ hours to as long as you’d

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like. Outside of group time, we encourage you to review the Small Group Coaching segment on your DVD and preview the session ahead of time.

This should take about 30 minutes.

Do I have to pray aloud?

No. If you’re not comfortable praying aloud, you may simply ask if someone in the group would be comfortable starting and ending the group by praying aloud.

How long will this group meet?

Some groups launch relationships for years to come; others are stepping stones into another group experience.

If you are Hosting, please commit to sticking it out for the six-week study.

At the end of that time, you can decide whether you and your group want to continue meeting. If your group wants to continue meeting but you’d like a break from Hosting, we encourage another member of the group to take a turn in this role. In fact, rotating Host responsibilities is one of the best things you can do to help your group flourish.

Do I need a lot of Bible knowledge to Host?

No, you do not. You will enjoy learning along with everyone else in the group.

Can we do this study on our own?

Absolutely! This may sound crazy, but one of the best ways to do this study is not with a full house but with a few friends. You may choose to meet with another couple who would enjoy some relational time (perhaps going to the movies or having a quiet dinner) and then walking through this study.

Jesus will be with you even if there are only two of you (Matt 18:20).

What if this group is not working for us?

You’re not alone! This could be the result of personality conflicts, life stage differences, geographical distance, levels of spiritual maturity, or any number of things. Relax. Pray for God’s direction, and at the end of this sixweek study, decide whether to continue with this group or find another.

You don’t typically buy the first car you look at or marry the first person you date, and the same goes for a group. However, don’t bail out before the six weeks are up - God might have something to teach you. Also, don’t run from conflict or judge people before you have given them a chance. God is still working in your life, too!

How do I structure each meeting?

The goal of Small Groups is not only to discuss, but to do life together.

Your group should follow the session order for each week as laid out in this study guide. This will involve prayer, watching the week’s video together and discussing the corresponding questions. We also recommend incorporating a meal or refreshments, a time to just hang out, a time of worship, and periodic gatherings outside of the scheduled group meetings.

Who is the leader?

Most groups have an official Host. But ideally, the group will mature and members will share the leadership of the group. We have discovered that healthy groups rotate Hosts and homes on a regular basis. This model ensures that all members grow, give their unique contribution, and develop their gifts.

How do we handle the childcare needs in our group?

Very carefully! Seriously, this can be a sensitive issue. We suggest that your group openly brainstorm solutions. You may try one option that works for a while and then adjust over time.

Our favorite approach is for the adults to meet in the living room or dining room and to share the cost of a babysitter (or two) who can watch the kids in a different part of the house. This way, parents don’t have to be away from their children all evening when their children are too young to be left at home. A second option is to use one home for the kids and a second home (close by or a phone call away) for the adults. A third idea is to rotate the responsibility of providing a lesson or care for the children, either in the same home or in another home nearby. This can be an incredible blessing for kids. Finally, the most common solution is to decide that you need to have a night to invest in your spiritual lives individually or as a couple and to make your own arrangements for childcare. No matter what decision the group makes, the best approach is to dialogue openly about both the problem and the solution.

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Hosting for the First Time Congratulations!

As the Host of your Small Group, you have responded to the call to help people grow toward their next level of faith. There are few other tasks in the family of God that surpass the contribution you will be making. As you prepare to Host this group, here are a few thoughts to keep in mind. Take a moment to read through these before your first meeting.

Remember that you are not alone.

God knows everything about you, and He knew that you would Host this group. Remember that it is common for all good leaders to feel that they are not ready to lead. Moses, Solomon, Jeremiah, and Timothy were all reluctant to lead. God promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Whether you are Hosting for the first time or for the hundredth time, you will be blessed as you serve.

Don’t try to do it alone.

Pray right now for God to help you build a healthy team. If you can enlist a co-Host, a mentor, or a close friend to help you prepare for and guide the group experience, that would be great. This is your chance to involve as many people as you can in building a healthy group. All you have to do is call and ask people to help. You’ll probably be surprised at the response.

Shoulder-tap to grow.

Growing your group is best done through invitation. Using the Spheres of Influence diagram on page 23, begin inviting people to join you.

Just be yourself.

If you won’t be you, who will? God wants you to use your unique gifts and temperament. Don’t try to do things exactly like another group Host; do them in a way that fits you! Just admit it when you don’t have an answer, and apologize when you make a mistake. Your group will love you for it, and you’ll sleep better at night! Genuineness and friendliness go a long way.

Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Prior to each meeting, we encourage you to watch the Small Group Coaching video, preview the session, and write down your responses to each

question. If a session refers to an exercise located in the Group Resources section, be sure to look over that item ahead of time.

Pray for your group members by name.

Before each meeting, go around the room in your mind and pray for each member by name. You may want to review the prayer list at least once a week. Ask God to use your time together to touch the heart of every person uniquely. Expect Him to lead you to whomever He wants you to encourage or challenge in a special way.

Share with your group what God is doing in your heart.

God is searching for those whose hearts are fully His. Share your trials and victories. We promise that people will relate.

When you ask a question, be patient.

Someone will eventually respond. Sometimes people need a moment or two of silence to think about the question. After someone responds, affirm the response with a simple “Thanks.” Then ask, “How about somebody else?” or “Would someone who hasn’t shared like to add anything?” Be sensitive to new people or reluctant members who aren’t ready to say, pray or do anything. If you give them a safe setting, they will blossom over time.

Don’t feel the need to follow up their responses with your own answer.

Your job is to facilitate discussion, not be the source for every answer.

Discussion flow.

When guiding the discussion, always read aloud the transitional paragraphs and the questions. Ask the group if anyone would like to read the paragraph or Bible passage. Don’t call on anyone; ask for a volunteer, and then be patient until someone begins. Be sure to thank the person who reads aloud.

Break up into smaller groups if your group gets too big.

If your group has more than ten people, we strongly encourage you to have the group gather in discussion circles of five or six people during the Discuss & Apply section of the study. A small circle encourages quieter members to participate and tends to minimize the effects of a more vocal or dominant member. With a greater opportunity to be heard, people will connect more with the study and with each other. Rather than praying as a large group, have each small circle end their discussions in prayer. Each circle can then relay their prayer requests to you. Share the written requests

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with the entire group so everyone can join in prayer for those needs during the week.

Share ownership.

You may be perfectly capable of opening up your home, bringing the food, and leading the discussion each time you meet. But you will help others grow in their faith and gifts if you give them opportunities to fulfill those roles. If you and your group prefer, you can use the Small Group Calendar on page 13 to plan ahead who can fill these roles for each meeting.

Remember these simple goals for Hosting a Small Group: Meet: Connect and build relationships. People stick because of relationships.

Mentor: Life is a journey and everyone is at a different place on that journey. Help people take just one step further in their faith.

Multiply: Multiply disciples by inviting people to your group and/ or by conducting an outreach as a group. Multiply leaders by sharing ownership. Multiply groups; if you find that your house is getting a bit too full, consider having another person start a new group. God’s heart is for this to take place over time.

One final challenge: Before your first session, read the five passages listed below as devotional exercises to help yourself develop a heart to serve others. Trust us on this one. If you do this, you will be more than ready for your first meeting.

Matt 9:36-38 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Rom 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Phil 2:1-4 1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

1 Peter 5:2-4 2Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1 Thess 2:7-8, 11-12 7Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well… 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

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Hosting an Open House If you’re starting a new group, try planning an open house before your first formal group meeting. Even if you have only two to four core members, it’s a great way to break the ice and to consider prayerfully who else might be open to joining you over the next few weeks. You can also use this kick-off meeting to hand out study guides, spend some time getting to know each other, discuss each person’s expectations for the group, and briefly pray for each other.

A simple meal or good desserts always make an open house more fun!

After people introduce themselves and share how they ended up being at the meeting, have everyone respond to a few icebreaker questions: •

What was your favorite family vacation?

•

What is one thing you love about your church/our community?

•

What are three facts about your childhood that most people here don’t know?

Next, ask everyone to share what he or she hopes to get out of the study. You might want to review the Small Group Agreement on page 10 and talk about each person’s expectations and priorities.

Finally, set an open chair or two in the center of your group and explain that it represents someone who would enjoy or benefit from this group but who isn’t here yet. Ask people to pray about inviting someone to join the group over the next few weeks. Hand out postcards and have everyone write an invitation or two. Don’t worry about ending up with too many people; you can always break up into smaller discussion groups after you watch the video lesson. Each group could then report prayer requests and progress at the end of the session.

You can skip the open house if your time is limited, but you’ll experience a huge benefit if you take the time to connect with each other in this way.

Session Theme Verses Session 1: The Losing of It All Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Session 2: The Prophetic King Dan 2:44 (NASB) In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.

Session 3: Birth through Wilderness Luke 1:31, 33b 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus...33his kingdom will never end.

Session 4: Gospels after Wilderness Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Session 5: The Kingdom and the Church Matt 16:18b (NASB) ...upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Matt 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Session 6: The Coming King Rev 21:1a, 3 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

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Outreach Ideas These are a few ideas to help you get your group outreach started. This list is not exhaustive - be creative!

• Conduct random acts of kindness by paying for someone’s meal, coffee, gas, etc.

• Provide a meal for a family outside your small group • Provide practical help for someone in need: yard work, fixing something inside a home, an oil change, clothing, etc.

• Prayer-walk a neighborhood • Volunteer at a local food bank, soup kitchen or other charitable organization

• Participate in an outreach with your local church • Contact the Fayetteville Dream Center and assist with any projects they are working on

• Adopt a family for Christmas • Provide a meal to first responders in your local area • Serve at a nursing home • Throw a block party for your neighborhood

Accountability Partners’ Check-In Select an accountability partner (of the same gender). Briefly check in each week and write down your personal plans and progress targets for the next week (or even for the next few weeks). This could be done before or after the meeting, on the phone, through email, or even in person from time to time.

Our Plans:_________________________________________________ My Name:________________________________________________ Partner’s Name:___________________________________________

Our Progress: Week 1 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Week 2 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Week 3 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Week 4 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Week 5 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Week 6 __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

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PRAYER TRACKER Prayer Tracker

Prayer Requests

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

Praise Reports

More Resources from Manna Church

The design for marriage was formulated by God in the Garden of Eden...before sin came into the human race. God intended it to be an awe-inspiring, intimate, fruitful, joyous relationship - in short, life-giving!

Marriage should be a source of joy to both husband and wife, and a source of strength, confidence, and encouragement to all the members of the family. This six-week study is designed to help us rediscover God’s design for the LifeGiving Marriage.

You can find this study on www.rightnowmedia.org (you will need a subscription) or purchase it at the Manna Church bookstore.

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Books by Michael Fletcher Available for purchase at the Manna Church bookstore Overcoming Barriers to Church Growth Passionate about church growth, Michael Fletcher understands the obstacles pastors and church leaders face as they reach 100-200 and 700-800 member barriers. He lays out clear, practical steps churches can follow to achieve the growth they desire. His strategies have proved effective not only in his church, which has grown dramatically, but also across the nation.

E-book also available on Kindle and Amazon How To Get Promoted If you want to get promoted, ask advice from the person who makes the decision! Michael sought the expert advice of 31 successful business leaders, entrepreneurs, pastors and military leaders - people who make and break careers. Their surprising insights, combined with the clear teaching of Scripture, make this book a must-read for anyone wanting to get ahead in life. Soundly Biblical, unashamedly practical, and sometimes in your face, How to Get Promoted will prepare you to go to the next level!

Building Successful Relationships Our quality of life is largely measured by the success or failure of our relationships. We all hunger for lasting, life-giving connections with our spouses, parents, children, co-workers, friends, and others around us - but these relationships can be a struggle to establish or even maintain. Whether you want to increase intimacy in your current relationships, develop new ones, or repair those that have been damaged, the seven practical keys in Building Successful Relationships can draw your heart and the hearts of those around you closer together.

Beyond Reconciliation with Larry Jackson We hear many Christian leaders preaching the need for racial reconciliation in our country - but we don’t see much real change taking place in our churches. Why do so few people experience true friendships with brothers or sisters of a different cultural background? Why are so few churches multi-ethnic? The fact is that the message of reconciliation is only the starting point. In sharing their own story of an extraordinary covenant friendship across cultural boundaries, Larry and Michael shed light on the perspectives, leadership, and initiative that can produce hope and lasting reconciliation.

Growth Track Manna Church’s Growth Track is designed to encourage your development as a healthy, effective follower of Jesus Christ. Whether you have been at Manna Church for one day or 20 years, the Growth Track can equip you to experience more fully your calling in God and your part in impacting your world.

FirstStep (4 weeks) If you are new to the faith, finding your way back to God, or simply want to strengthen your basic foundations as a believer, FirstStep is for you.

We introduce the healthy habits essential to a fruitful walk with Jesus and discuss the importance of Baptism.

NextStep (4 weeks) Learn what Manna Church is passionate about, where we are going, and how you can be a part of this adventure!

LeaderStep (8 weeks) LeaderStep is designed to equip you more fully to lead and influence people in your family, your job, your community, and at Manna Church.

Visit www.mannachurch.org/growth-track or contact your Site directly for more information.

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5117 Cliffdale Road Fayetteville, NC 28304 910.867.9151 www.mannachurch.org